Injection and production tool for oil and gas wells



J. I YNES Nov. 2, 1954 INJECTION AND PRODUCTION 'IVOOL FOR OIL AND GAS WELLS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 8, 1953 `FIG.

Il. liu-.. l

INVENTORI Jou-m umm ATroRNEY Nov; 2, 1954 J, LYNES 2,693,342 INJECTION AND PRODUCTION TOOL FOR OIL AND GAS WELLS v l Filed Jan. 8, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 2 FIG. 2.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent C AND PRODUCTION TOOL FOR OIL A NDv GAS WELLS John Lynes, Albuquerque, N. Mex., assignor to Oil Recovery Corporation, Albuquerque, N. Mex., a corporation of New Mexico Application January 8, 1953, Serial No. 330,334

4 Claims. (Cl. Z55-1.4) v

INJECTION This invention relates to a production tool for oil or gas wells, which tool may also be employed for the treatment of wells, as by injection of chemicals. The tool is characterized by means capable of drilling into and sealing olf formations inthe side walls of the borehole, the borehole having been previously `drilled by conventional means.

The increasingly greatdistances to whichv oil and gas wells are being drilled has presented lthe industry with acute problems relating to eicient means for completing or bringing in a well. Even after the diicult step of identifying a productive stratum has been accomplished, many wells are lost due to inadequate means for isolating the stratum from contamination, particularly 4from water strata in the well, and for causing it to deliver its contents of oil or gas to the surface.

Cementing is a conventional and much used method for completing a well, whereby a string of pipe is set adjacent a selected formation, and cementy is pumped into the annular space between the pipe and borehole. Next, by means of a gunperforator, the attempt is made to render the formation productive by shooting through the pipe and cement layer. One of the drawbacks of this operation is that the cement, having been pumped in at tremendous pressures, may infiltrate and seal off proluctive zones despite the perforations subsequently ma e. v 'y Another way of producing a well involves the use of packer tools which are set in a well bore to seal E a selected formation whereupon treating or swabbing operations, or both, are performed through the supporting pipe. Packer tools are subject to breakage and dislocation in the well, and are less permanent than a cementing job, and both means have the disadvantage that they operate on the formationfrom within the contines of the drill hole.

'I'he present invention, by contrast, is designed, when located adjacent a selected formation, to penetrate it laterally for considerable distances, and thereupon to seal off the lateral bores thus produced insueh manner as to isolate them from the drilling mud and other contaminating uid like water, in the drill hole proper. At the same time, automatic means are provided for opening a uid line connection between the lateral bores and the surface. With the tool constituting the invention thus situated, areas of the selected formation are made accessible to a far greater extent, for treatment and production, than are made accessible by conventional means such as those first described.

Other and further advantages ofthe invention will be described in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevationpartly in section, of the tool comprising the invention, in condition for lowering into a drill hole;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the tool after having been located for treating or production operations in the drill hole of a well;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on lines 3--3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. l.

In the drawing, the main body member ortool housing is designated at 10, adapted for connection with the upper pipe member 11 by a threaded upper coupling 12. Upper pipe member 11 is intended for support from and rotation by conventional lengths of drill string (drill pipe or tubing, not shown). The base of housing terminates in a lower threaded coupling 13 for the attachment of one or more selected lengths of pipe,'such i 2,693,342 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 as lower pipe 14. At the base of lower pipe 14 is attached a toothed shoe 15 (Fig. 2) for engaging the base of the drill hole, whereby the housing 10 will be secured against rotation.

By these means, it will be apparent, the tool may be set in av well at a predetermined position, by measuring the distance from the well bottom upwards to the desired location, and providing a lower pipe 14 in one or more sections having the desired total length for support.

Within the body 10 is the cylindrical gear headv 16, mounted for vertical non-rotational movement by means of keys 17 slidable in the slots 18 formed on the inner walls of body 10. The head 16 has a lower hollow recess 25 and a detachable base member l19, these members providing the bearings for the hollow rotating shafts 20 and 21, which are driven by means of pinions 22 and 23. The upper portions of shafts 20 and 21 arev pierced by ports, whose purpose will be explained below.

j A hollow drive coupling 26 is carried internally of the head 16 and is connected to the upper pipe 11 by means of collar 27. On the lower end of coupling 26 is formed a hollow driving gear 28 which connects with pinions 22 and 23.

Disposed for limited vertical movement within the hollowcoupling 26 and member 19, is stopper 30 the upper portion of which is hollow and carries an upper removable ring 31. Ports 33 are formed in the walls of the hollow portion of stopper 30. The base of stopper 30 is solid and carries a lower flange 32 to prevent removal of stopper 30 from member 19. A number of sealing rings designated at 34, 35 and 36, are located in the spaces between the stopper 30, coupling 26, headV vper directly beneath member 19 and designed to be sheared off by member 19 when stopper 30 is forcibly moved upwards.

Pivoted to the lower ends of hollow shafts 20 and 21 are the lateral drill and feeder pipes 40 and 41, by means of the hollow capped Cardan-type universal joints 42 and 43 which provide a flexible fluid line connection between hollow shafts 20-21 and pipes 40-41. Drill pipes 40 and 41 are provided at their lower ends with the drilling bits 44 and 45, and with a 4series of ports 46. Above the ports 46 on pipes 40-41 are the cone-shaped formation seals 47-48, formed of resilient material such as rubber. These are secured against upward moversnlentszlong the pipes 40-41 by means of the metal rings The base of the main body member is pierced by a pair of large ports 53--54 internally of which is formed the dellectorS()y in the shape of a cone having concave sides, and provided with a at crown 55.

The operation of the tool will now be described. In the Fig. l position the tool is in condition for lowering into the drill hole, it being assumed that the formation to be treated or produced has been located by other means, and that the length of lower pipe 14 has been p adjusted to bring the tool to the proper position when the shoe 15 reaches and ,engages the well bottom. In the Fig. l position it will be seen that housing 10 is coupled to upper pipe 11, retaining the gear head in its upper position and the drill pipes 40--41 in their retracted position.

In the Fig. l position, furthermore, while fluid from the well may enter the ports 53-54 into the body 10 and from thence into the recess 25 of the driving head 16 through the ports 46 and 24, it is blocked from further upward passage by the presence of the stopper 30, which is held in closed position by shear-pin 60, and whose ports 33 are sealed off in the Fig. l down position by the base member 19.

Location of the tool at the desired level` in the Well, as has been explained, will lock the main housing against rotation'liy theactibnofltletoothedshoe linsengage.- ment with the well bottom. In this condition, clockwise rotation of the supportingndrill pipe will cause the threaded coupling 12 to disconnect. as shown-..in.Eig,; 2.` Atl thesame .time continued rotation off.theidrilhpipe,E and its' inherentwei'ght (supplemented if' necessary. by. downward pressure) will cause theT gtar. headte. move. downwardly.- in the4 keyway. 17-18whil`e1he drive coupling. 26.' is. being rotatedl Rotation oftlie coplingzr causes rotation of shafts.. E-.21', the. feeder `pipes"4ll-`4I`. and drill 'bits 44'-45;v through. the..gears..28'.and pinions 22`232 Continuance ofi` this downward .rotary movement I. appl'i'ed. to pipe. llwill. cause. thefhits 44``4B and'ldrilll-feeder pipest 40.-.41 to be; deflected by member. 50,. toexit throughtheports 53`-5'4.. and'. to penetrate the...sid`e. walls. of. the diill.hole,forminglateraltside wall..bores-.d`esi"g natedl at .60," and. 61A.

When. side wall', boresA liavebeen. thus: .formedl'to a predetermined'. depth, theresilient seals. '47 and' 48 will. be. carried by. pipes, 40-.41l into contact with. the mouths. of4 theside. wall, bores, asindicated at 62` and"63`,.Eig,.2. Due to .the fact vof` their diameter .andconicall construcf tion andal'so due to the rotary action. imparted to theirsupportingfeeder pipes. the seals 47'-48 `will be l'ongi# tudinally compressed against the rings'S'l-SZ,- with a consequent wadding action. such as illustrated in Fig. 2. Inthis conditionjthe seals-.have been forced. to expandlaterally within the mouths. of the respective sidewall. bores, thus providing avery eifective sea1ing-oi means isolating theside-wall bores. from the. main drillhole and its contents.

After4 the .sealing-ott operation; just. described,4 continued downward' movement of the, gear headsvlawill. nally cause contact between, the: base ofxstopper 30V and the crown 55. of deflector 50; shearing; off, the pin 60 and. causing the' stopper 30. to be lifted intoits upper. position shown in Fig. 2. ln'this. position the;y ports 33, of stopper 30-are openedintothe recessZSpthus; com pletingv an. uninterrupted.` uid' line connection between. the side wall. bores4 S0- 61, and pipe 11. leading..to:the surface,..which connection is: via the por-ts .46,5, -pipes 40-41 hollow joints. 42-43, hol-low shafts 2lb-211,. ports. 24; recess 25j, zports3fi'nto-the hollowtstopperm. and thence to.pipe 1-1. It should. be notedthatuthe means.4 described.l above permitthetool lto bewplaced in opera? tive position in-uid connection with a formation while avoiding'y the presence of a columnofliquid-in" the-pipe 11. or the supporting.- `drillstring above. Tthisfsituationf iszprovided` by ther arrangement of.stopper 30 andpar ticularly its associatedO shear-pin.-60.which. is :designed to. prevent the liquidpressure in. the;` drill; hole fromprematurely opening'thef stopper' 11- when it is desireizl t0 maintainthe upper.y pipe string` inudry condition; The:

advantageof thisf arrangement; resides yin that' theiorma'e.

tion;` when penertated; andvsealed o, is immediately :reh lieved-of thepressure of..thecolumnrof drili'fnnud in; they main drilliholeg. and: natural. pressures yin: theformar tion have only to combat a column of air in thexupper pipe: string; Accordingly;l even very-'weak lnaturalnpressures' in the formation: will.v cause: a" ilowwofaitstcontentsf into: the tool, andthe: necessity of.- swabbinggoutzthefupper. pipe is eliminated.

.'Onrthe othext'hanm, ifi it is. desiredft`1rst to: treat? the formationsfby lthe' injection of treating fluida-such asfacidsit. ther-pipe: 1-1. andfthe upper stringrnay bevti'lledwwith such: fluids at'anyaconvenient time prionto'inaltlocation oflthev` tooiltin' the selected formation., Qtr thefopeningzof. stepper` 31h-:pumping .operati-ons may promptly commencez.

tii/elpositionain thewelLin order :to exploitatdifferentfor-Y mation` on a different welly. rotation ofnthexsupportinggpipe; and slowlyfraisinglthefsuppontingspipea will:.cause the: seals 47-48 to break connection with thesidefwalllbores: andwthe. .feeder pipes'. to retract" into. .the body member. .1'0, whereuponthe assemblagev may bewithdrawn.

1 From the.- foregoil'lg,v it'iwill be understoodwthat'. therer hasf been. described-v. a versatile tool .'whichcaccomplishes newfresultsin penetrating and sealing, ofi ofconsider-able. lateral areas of a-f producingv stratum, ini a..- single opera.-L tion., -Ofgreat importanceaare. the meansdescribediwherer by all operations can be automatically controlled. from: the. surface: merely by! .simple-vertical.:.and )rotational movement lof.' fthe. supportinggpipe'n Oftsimilar. importance; are the sealing means provided, Without which the side wall. bores would` be contaminated by `the...drill.holeliuids and could not be exploited `separately.

While no dimensions are generally necessary for understanding the operation of the tool, the practical length for the drill and feeder pipes, measured between the drill bits and seals respectivelygtwllihe governed by the type of formation encountered, the nature of which would be establishedinf- -thel'diillingffofthe main Welll bore: 1 Any tight formation highly''resistantL tov-drilling will limit the lengthof the drill and feeder.. pipe to about one hundred and:` fifty feet, since theA torque developed wouldtendL to collapse a pipe of 'greaterlengthL Gn the other hand, yin a porous formation the pipe length' couldbe kseveralhundred dieet;A permitting, a penetration. of.. this. distance.. into the formation. It will be seen that in either case the tool oifers unique possibilities :penetrating and exploring larlge lateral areas of formations adjacent the main bore- Bytmakingjtheihousing'10ina plurality oficoupledv sections, antl" the drill-feederl pipes `in' a` 'plurality ofjoint'ed se'ctions'thetool'can beeasily'modiedtoprovide'various side wall0 penetrations2'within`-'the -abovefootages; Also', the feeder pipes'shoulil"beformedpfresilientsteel;'so^that i byalteringthe vconcavity ofthedeiiector'member, the

feeder pipes if. desired, may be. dellectedfinto Vthe side wall formationsH at an'gls substantially1 'horizontally` the drawing* in this 4respect being l by` way; of 'illustration only.'

*What is claimed' isz' l. lA` tool.' ofthe? type described-comprising 'ar-hollow.' main" body"rrrember dimensioned for' loweringl into' 'the main. ydrill;hole of an.` oil:or"gas"well"by^ a drillv string; connection `from* saidbodyto' the surface', meansf for supporting saidbodyrmember against rotationall move'- ment when positionedforoperation 'in thev drill' hole', at

least one` side ywall"penetratingdrill and feeder pipe' inA inoperative: posit-inn'retained` in said' bodyr member; saidl drill andqfeeder4 'pipe' being0 capped byA a" drilling bit' drivingjxmeanst in` said lbody' memberoperable by movei ment ofsaididrill string'connection'toforcel saicl'I drill and.l

feeder pipe'laterally `froml said :bodyY member into` a'. formation toA form ak .lateral boretherein, sealing means carried byA said feeder .pipe mounted for engagementwith; the mouthof said*lateral'bore,,a'fluid4 passageway formed i between ports in said'feederpipe anda channel leading;

through. said. body .to said drill string connection, andL stopper means contained; in'said' ilid' passageway. openingv the passagewayiupon' completion of saidl side wall bore automaticallyl actuatedbyl said driving means.

.2. A tool of the type described vcomprisinge a hollow main body member di'mensionedv for loweringginto the: main .drill'hol'e of anoilor gas well' by a.drill` string connection from said' body to the surface; meansfor supporting said' body member agaihstrotational. movement; when. positioned for. operation.. i'n.. the.` drill .hol`e atleast one side. wall' penetrating. drill andfeeder ipipel in.. inop.`

-erative position retained' .insaid' body member, said feeder'.

pipe' being capped by. adrillingbit; driving. meansin. said bodyrnember .operable by movement. 'of'. said surface pipe connection-to drive said feeder pipe -l'ateral l'y` from saidtbody member into a formationtoform a. lateral bore therein; said` driving means comprising a gear. head mountedl .for vertical movementl within. said.' body member andlsupporti'ng ya geared; drive shaft cour pled to said drill and feeder pipe, a drive coupling containing in saidl gear headf. and connected to said' drill' string for rotational 'movementandcarrying a.` driving geanconnected to said gearedl drive'shaft;. atlaterall exit' port insaicL body.` for saidd'rill.y and; .feeder pipe, sealing.,

" means. carried by. saidl-.feeder...pipe: mounted. for engagement withsaidl'aterabbore, a Huid. passagewayformed. between ports in said` drill and feeder pipe and,v a channel.: leading, throughsaid gear. head, into .saiddizilll string, and .stopper meansyin; said passageway opening the pas,

sageway upon completion of said-"side wallibore,..said1 stopper being, actuatedv bya trip. brought into contact /lvitii1 saidstopper, by downward". movement oflsaid. gear .3. A. toolofl ,the ,type described,. comprising a vhollowr main. .bod`y...rnemben, means .fon suspending, said body member. in. main: holer offan: oily or gas.. well'z., from a: drill string, means .i for... anchoring.; said. 4body.- member. againstrotary movemenu'adjacenta selected'well forma-- tion,; at least toner,sidewalkpenetrating.drill.tandv feeder",

p ipe. car-Lying, a. :rotaryV drilling bit. in.. inoperative posi?I tion contained 1n said body member, means including an exit port in said body member for guiding said drill and feeder pipe laterally into the sidewall of said well, driving means operable by rotation and lowering of said drill string for rotating said pipe while advancing said pipe through said exit port, a channel formed between ports in said pipe and said body member, compressible sealing means carried on said pipe between said ports and said body member for engaging said sidewall, a shutoi in said channel normally in closed position when said pipe 1s in inoperative position, and means for opening said shutoff automatically actuated by said driving means at a selected interval determined by the deslilred extent of penetration of said pipe into said side wa 4. A tool of the type described, comprising a hollow main body member, means for suspending said body member in the main hole of an oil or gas well from a drill string, means for anchoring said body member against rotary movement adjacent a selected well formation, at least one sidewall penetrating drill and feeder pipe carrying a rotary drilling bit in inoperative position contained in said body member, means including an exit port in said body member for guiding said drill and feeder pipe laterally into the sidewall of said well,

driving means operable by rotation and lowering of said drill string for rotating said pipe While advancing said pipe through said exit port, a channel formed between ports in said pipe and said body member, compressible sealing means carried on said pipe between said ports and said body member for engaging said sidewall, a shuto in said channel normally in closed position when said pipe is in inoperative position, and means for opening said shutoi automatically actuated by said driving means at a selected interval in the movement of said pipe into said sidewall measured by the arrival of said sealing means into engagement with said sidewall.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,044,648 Stevens June 16, 1936 2,271,005 Grebe Jan. 27, 1942 2,389,512 Humason Nov. 20, 1945 2,545,975 Sewell Mar. 20, 1951 2,626,777 True Jan. 27, 1953 2,632,512 Chaney et al. Mar. 24, 1953 

